Process and appliance for data processing and computer programme product

Abstract

The present invention concerns an appliance, a process and a computer programme product for the processing of unstructured or semi-structured digital data in a file system. In order to create an appliance, a process and a computer programme product which allow simple, reliable, highperformance and purpose oriented management of every manner of digital, stored, unstructured data, it is proposed that, it is functionally extended by providing a framework for further external logic to be inserted in order to modify the filesystem's behaviour and/or a structure is imposed onto unstructured or semi-structured data in real time by enhancing existing namespace semantics and/or metadata and data are processed independently by physically and logically separating namespace and block handlers.

1 - 37 . (canceled) 
   
   
       38 . A process of managing unstructured or semi-structured digital data in a file system, comprising the steps of:
 functionally extending the file system by providing a framework for further external logic to be inserted in order to modify the file system's behavior even of existing file systems, and   imposing a structure onto said unstructured or semi-structured data in real time by enhancing existing namespace semantics and   processing independently metadata and data by physically and logically separating namespace and block handlers.   
   
   
       39 . A process according to  claim 38 , wherein when data is accessed, logical access and physical access are executed jointly, whereby a transparent, common access mechanism is implemented for both types of access. 
   
   
       40 . A process according to  claim 38 , wherein logical access is carried out as access to information by metadata. 
   
   
       41 . A process according to  claim 38 , wherein existing file system or semantics are enhanced by added attributes. 
   
   
       42 . A process according to  claim 41 , wherein said attributes act like files and allow a child relationship to a directory or a file or another attribute. 
   
   
       43 . A process according to  claim 38 , wherein files and attached information are logically grouped. 
   
   
       44 . A process according to  claim 43 , wherein grouping functionality belongs to the native semantics of the process allowing these relationships to be maintained atomically. 
   
   
       45 . A process according to  claim 38 , wherein the process is carried out while preserving an atomicity of the sum of all partial transactions regarding all data which is linked to respective source data and/or files. 
   
   
       46 . A process according to  claim 41 , wherein at least one attribute is linked with a data type scheme, allowing the introduction of constraints, and validity schemes. 
   
   
       47 . A process according to  claim 41 , wherein said attributes are indexed for fast further retrieval, using B-Trees, B+-Trees, or Hash-Tables. 
   
   
       48 . A process according to  claim 38 , wherein arbitrarily pre-definable data subsets are extracted when accessing said unstructured data or proprietary structured data. 
   
   
       49 . A process according to  claim 48 , wherein the extracted data subsets are stored as metadata in a structured form. 
   
   
       50 . A process according to  claim 49 , wherein intrinsic and/or extrinsic data subsets are used to form the respective metadata. 
   
   
       51 . A process according to  claim 48 , wherein metadata is created from arbitrarily pre-definable data subsets when unstructured and proprietary structured data is read and written or stored. 
   
   
       52 . A process according to  claim 39 , wherein within the execution of the access a file path is processed which has been enhanced by a Query-Interface. 
   
   
       53 . A process according to  claim 52 , wherein the Query-Interface used in the extended file path constitutes an enhancement of a POSIX-in the form of an XQuery-Standard. 
   
   
       54 . A process according to  claim 38 , wherein a structure is given to unstructured data by attributes which allow database-like retrieval, such that a query procedure is incorporated into the data path. 
   
   
       55 . A process according to  claim 38 , wherein the file system is extended by external functionality through plug-ins. 
   
   
       56 . A process according to  claim 38 , wherein data is subject to a pre-defined and customizable rule and action framework. 
   
   
       57 . A process according to  claim 55 , wherein said rule and action framework allows said plug-ins to be executed within the scope of the file system. 
   
   
       58 . A process according to  claim 57 , wherein said rule and action framework allows the plug-ins to be executed inbound to the file system processing. 
   
   
       59 . A process according to  claim 57 , wherein said plug-ins allow the file system behavior to be modified and adapted according to the results of the processing. 
   
   
       60 . A process according to  claim 38 , wherein partial stages are triggered by well defined events. 
   
   
       61 . A process according to  claim 60 , wherein said partial stages are executed automatically. 
   
   
       62 . A process according to  claim 38 , wherein several file system layers are stacked on top of each other. 
   
   
       63 . A process according to  claim 62 , wherein the stacking of said file system layers is done such that the sum of all single transactions in each sublayer can be treated as a single, atomic transaction. 
   
   
       64 . A process according to  claim 62 , wherein the different file system stacking layers all are executed simultaneously or sequentially. 
   
   
       65 . A process according to  claim 39 , wherein logical access and physical access are separated from each other. 
   
   
       66 . A process according to  claim 38 , wherein the separation of namespace and block handlers is done in a physical, out of band way such that the handlers interact using a network backplane. 
   
   
       67 . A process according to  claim 38 , wherein said physical block handling is coupled with existing namespace semantics and vice versa. 
   
   
       68 . A process according to  claim 66 , wherein block handling handlers are unified in such a way that a virtual block layer is introduced which allows an existing file system to be treated as a physical block device. 
   
   
       69 . A process according to  claim 66 , wherein block handling unification paired with coupling with different namespace semantics is used for a virtualization of existing storage environments. 
   
   
       70 . A process according to  claim 38 , wherein said process is carried out in an individual unit without interference in or modification to an existing structure. 
   
   
       71 . A process according to  claim 38 , wherein existing storage environments are SAN and NAS environments. 
   
   
       72 . An appliance for processing unstructured, digital data in a data processing installation that implements the process of  claim 38  by assigning resources to connect the appliance to standardized software and hardware interfaces of a respective data processing installation or a respective system network. 
   
   
       73 . An appliance for processing the process of  claim 38  that is integrated as a closed unit into a data processing installation without interference in or modification to an existing structure of the same data processing installation. 
   
   
       74 . An appliance according to  claim 73  that includes resources to encompass all levels of the unstructured data, from its physical representation through logical classification to its information content, the information content being edited and adjusted to fall within a well-defined framework of actions and/or decisions. 
   
   
       75 . A computer programme product that executes the process according to  claim 38 .